Wow- It's been a long time!

There is no possibel way to catch up on the last few months so I will give a highlight of the last month. School started and I now have an empty home during the day. Dustin and I were counting down the summer days until school started. We were more excited for the kids to go to school than they were! We have enjoyed getting the house clean each week- at least I know it will stay clean for a few hours. We have gone grocery shopping without the kids. Can I just say how nice it is to walk into a store and not have to yell and be afraid someone will call CPS on me because I am disciplining my children in public- nothing major, but it is nice to not have the store fights. I have been able to do doctor and chiropractor appointments without worrying about a babysitter. The best part- Dustin and I have been able to attend the same temple session together! It has been so long. We usually trade off so we wouldn't have to get a sitter- no more. That has been super nice. We have date days now. It is very nice reading scriptures in the morning without the kids to distract me. Life is good. I am still keeping plenty busy. I am helping out in the kids' classrooms one day a week, teaching piano lessons, and keeping the kids caught up on their piano lessons and homework is hard work. Plus, I am trying to read one large book to each of the kids each night, plus they read to me. Life is crazy, but fun.

My little "Jodi Girl" started Kindergarten this year. She was more than ready to go. I tried holding her hand as we walked to the play ground and she totally put me in my place: "No, Mom. I'm a big girl." "May I please hold your hand? You're my last child starting school." (BIG SIGH from Jodi) "Fine." Well that just made me feel oh so sad. She is way cute. She is so tiny compared to many of the kids. She finally broke the 35lb mark!! Yeah! She loves Mrs. Pena. Daniel had her last year and Jodi just expected that was who she would have. She has so much fun.

Daniel moved up to first grade. He loves Mrs. Neuman. He has a big heart and it gets hurt often, but he did tell me that he has lots of girlfriends and that they all want to be near him. He says some of the funniest things. He know who Justin Beber is and the Jonas Brothers. He likes their music. Daniel also started piano lessons this year and is having fun- I think. He has gotten quite attached to the Wii. He reminds me so much of my brothers! I finally have some leverage with the boy! He never really loved one thing and so discipling was hard because I couldn't take anything away from him that he really cared about, until the Wii came along. He can play for hours- if we let him. He is funny. he said I was one hot mama the other day. Where does he get it? Like father like son!

Noah is now in 3rd grade and finding school challenging. Mrs. Hall is a very good teacher. She really pushes her students hard. Noah loves reading and hearing stories and writing stories. He may be an author someday! He loves fantasy books- he reminds me of my older brother! We read the 4th Harry Potter together over the summer. He had a Harry Potter movie marathon and watched all 4 movies in a row. He loved it. I won't let him read or watch the last few books for anothe year or more. It gets a bit complicated and a bit more mature for his understanding. We have found other books though to wet his fantasy appetite. We are reading the 4th Book in the Fablehaven series together. He loves Brandon Mull's books. Noah is also really excited for "Reading Under the Stars." Bruce Coville is coming for the event. He rights books about dragon slayers and Noah is in heaven. He is super excited. He is also doing great in piano and at Cub Scouts. He is working hard to earn his wolf badge- he is almost there!

Dustin is doing well working as a nurse at Scotssdale Healthcare Hospital. He is in his 6th year as an employee and his 2 year as a nurse. He is also now ACLS certified and will be certified for med/surge work in Februrary. It means another pay raise. And it gets him one step closer to ER work- if that is what he wants still- who knows with him. He is always changing his mind! He provides well for our little family. We love our home and neighborhood. Great blessings have come to us!

I will try to post more often this year with my children's antics and successes, and maybe even their failures= hopefully they won't have any! But, that is life when it does!

Merry Christmas

We are waiting to take our family picture, but here is the letter for now!

Dear Family and Friends,
The year 2010 has been a wonderfully blessed year for the Frier family. We are in complete awe of the bounty and the blessings Heavenly Father has bestowed upon our family. We are so grateful! Here are some of the big highlights for our family:
Dustin passed the boards for his RN in February and was immediately promoted from nurse assistant to RN at Scottsdale Healthcare. He has been with them for 5 years and he was blessed to have a boss that liked him enough to create a position for him! He is doing well in his new role. It isn't always easy, but he is learning new things every day. He plans to return to school in August to begin work on the Bachelors degree in nursing. More school- but it won't be full time again- for which Laura is most grateful!
With a good paying job, Laura's nightmares of apartment living were at an end! Hip, Hip Hooray! We moved into our very own home, in a very quiet neighborhood in May. That first night in our new home was a miracle we thought would never happen. The night was blissfully peaceful- no noisy neighbors stomping over our heads all through the night! We love our home!
With the home came the fulfillment of a promise made to the kids that they could get a puppy. Enter one chi-doxie mix: Flash. He is a Momma's puppy through and through. He is Laura's shadow and protector- all be it 1 foot tall at that!
We had a wonderful Albaugh family reunion in Colorado camping this summer. All we did was FREEZE! We are now a true AZ family now that we have been here 10 years! We had a great time seeing Laura's siblings and their spouses and children. We made some great memories: Picture Noah and Daniel with a hatchet in hand chopping at anything that even looked like wood.
Daniel (6) started Kindergarten this year and is learning at leaps and bounds. He is one of his class's top readers and writers. He is now reading anything he can, no more talking in "code" around him as he is putting the sounds of letters together quicker than we speak them! He is having so much fun. Daniel loves anything Zhu Zhu and has collected quite a few.
Noah (7) is a great kid in 2nd grade, also among the top in his class. Where do they get it from? He loves Star Wars and playing with his twin 2 houses down. Noah was finally blessed with a best friend in the neighborhood that is also in his class at school! Zane and Noah are quite the pair. Noah loved our move! He has also kept up with the piano and is playing so well. Noah is looking forward to his baptism in February. Hopefully his aunts and uncles will be able to attend!
Jodi (4) lost the companionship of Daniel in August when he went to school. Jodi became princess of the house and rules the home like a diva. She LOVES Barbies and is forever asking mommy to play with her. Jodi did gain her first "boyfriend" in Brad, the younger brother of Noah's best friend. They are gaga for one another. Laura is a little worried. If she is already catching the hearts of boys at 4, what will she be like at 16?!!! She is such a sweet, independent, tom-boy, girly girl. She is a true blessing for her family. Jodi will start kindergarten in August- not soon enough for her!

Laura has had a change in focus this year. While the fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue still plague her daily life, she pushes through and does what she can. She has been playing the piano so much more than the flute- it's not quite as painful resting fingers on a keyboard as holding the flute up and using all the breathing muscles. She is loving the new-found joy in the piano. Laura is again leading the church choir as well as leading the music for the children in church on Sundays. She also volunteers once a week in the boys' classrooms. She loves seeing them learn and loves being a help to the teachers. It brings great joy to her. Laura has also become quite addicted to books. Rarely does she leave the house without a book tucked under her arm. Check out her growing list of good books on Good reads.com
The Frier family has been so blessed this year. We know that these good things have been given to us from a loving Heavenly Father who heard our prayers and our pleas for so long. We had faith that all would work out so long ago when we gave up a home so Dustin could go to school. We had many trials over the last 4 years and we are so grateful for the love Heavenly Father has given to us. May each of you know that our Savior came to earth to suffer and to know how to help each of us and that He will help us if we but turn to him. May His love be with you this Christmas season and in the year to come is our prayer to our dear family and friends,
Love,
Dustin, Laura, Noah, Daniel, and Jodi Frier

We love hearing from our friends!
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Daniel's Birthday and Halloween

So much has been happening around here lately. I feel like I keep getting farther and farther behind in writing about th elives of our munchkins. School is going great. The boys are both excelling in their school work. Daniel is spelling everything and reading anything he sees. He is now spelling his answers to us. I am not "Mom" anymore, but "M-O-M." Daniel is loving school and friends. Noah was selected Student of the Month in his class for October. Who wouldn't want him in a class?

We spent our fall break hanging out at home, playing with the kids on our block, having Daniel's birthday party with his friends, and going to the Zoo and seeing the Koala bears. We actually saw them when they were awake and eating! Daniel had a great time at his party. He is now 6 years old. His favorite part was getting to decorate the cupcakes at the party. His friends all had fun with that too!

We also went camping with our ward. We celebrated Daniel's actual birthday camping- which was lots of fun too!

Then we went to the Zoo on Friday before Halloween. It wasn't nearly as fun as we thought it would be, but we still had fun spending time together. Trick or Treating was really fun and tiring= especially for Jodi. We had church from 2-5, came home ate really fast and went out. Jodi slept in Monday morning. We were both ready for a nap yesterday.

Life is just going to keep getting busier and busier in the next few weeks with the holidays. I am gearing up for cooler weather (it should come soon!!) and all the fun and activities to get ready for.

One of 3 the 3 Greatest Blessings in My Life

This scrapbook design made with Smilebox

Off to a GOOD Start

Well, all of my worries about Daniel doing well at school were unnecessary. Daniel was the first student selected for his class as Student of the Month. He will be given an award on Monday. He LOVES Mrs. Pena and she is obviously keeping great control in the classroom. Daniel was selected because of his leadership skills and he treats everyone the way he wants to be treated. Now my only question is this: Is this the same child that lives here? It's like night and day for him. At least he is good in public and for others- because I feel like he NEVER hears a word I say! I am so pleased with Daniel and that school is a wonderful place for him to be. We love Brinton Elementary school and are so happy with the great environment that it is for my kids.

Noah was selected as the STAR student in his class. It's a week long celebration of him. We made a cool poster for the bulletin board all about him. He got to do Show and Tell, he gets the privilege of no homework this week- he was so happy about that. I get to come in and read his favorite book to his class. I am really excited to do that. All the student write letters to Noah and then they are made into a book for Noah to keep. It's a fun week for Noah. Noah also got his first 100% on his spelling test this week. He was very pleased.

The kids love school. Noah hates that he never has enough time to play with his toys anymore. It took him 2 weeks to finally get to watch the movie he had been wanting to see. We have just been so busy after school with homework, piano practice, playing with friends outside, and reading at night.

Jodi has been having fun keeping herself entertained in the mornings. She loves Angelina Ballerina. Thank heavens for DVR. We have about 8 episodes from PBS recorded for her. SHe puts on her leotard, ballet shoes, and "tighties"

Pictures of the kids will follow in a few days once I get some Smilebox things completed!

School Starts!

Oh Boy were we ready for school!! I am SOOO glad I put the kids in Brinton Elementary School. It is a Mesa Public school on Meridian/ Southern- right on the border to Apache Junction. I heard so many bad things about the school my children would have been assigned in Apache Junction. We are thrilled with everything so far at Brinton. The facilities are wonderful.






Daniel started Kindergarten this year. He was so ready to go, and sad to say, so was I!! Life in our home has been so much less stressful with him in school. His teacher has been teaching for 12 years, mostly in downtown Mesa, so I am sure that whatever Daniel throws at her she can manage. Daniel's best phrase about the first day of school was that he had, "Infinity Fun!" I wonder if that phrase will catch on? He was ALL smiles when he came home. He was so excited to return the next day. He said someone had to go to the time out chair the first day. I was REJOICING that it was not Daniel in that chair. He did have to go there on Friday for not listening, but he is learning!! His teacher called on Friday just to see if we had any concerns with him. She said he was just a normal kid and is doing fine. I am totally THRILLED with fine. Daniel is having fun- that is all that matters. I want school to be fun for him. He was so sad Saturday that he didn't have school! I am glad he looks forward to going back. He does really good work. He definitely was ready to be a Kindergartener.










I messed up lunches on their first day of school! Daniel will ONLY eat PB&J and Noah will ONLY eat ham. (I feel like I run a very shabby restaurant!) I mixed up their sandwhiches. An aide went to Noah's classroom once they realized why Daniel wasn't eating. While they were switching sandwhiches Daniel told the boy next to him, "My mom is a Cuuu-ckooo." He is SO very expressive!


Noah is in 2nd grade. He had a good first week as well. The best part for him is that Zane, the neighbor boy he befriended over the summer, is in his class. They are now inseperable! It is so fun. Wherever Zane and Noah are- there are Daniel, Jodi, and Zane's brother Brad. They all get along great- like NO fighting!! Noah is trying hard to meet new kids and has extended a hand of friendship to a 1st grader with a feeding tube. He is so sweet. Noah was not as excited as Daniel to go back to school the 2nd day. Noah knows school means work! He just wants to play!

Jodi and I had lots of fun filling in time without the boys. The first day was rather lonely without them. But, we made a puppet for the "Woman Who Swallowed the Fly" and we stamped and colored. The 2nd day I took a nice long nap and Jodi watched movies. Dustin and Jodi cleaned the house and we all had lunch and went shopping at Costco. I am so going to love this school year!

Summer Fun

School starts in only a week. I thought I would do a run down of all the fun we enjoyed this summer. Most of it occurred in a week time span with our big camping reunion trip in Colorado.

The Pool: The public pool was a hot spot. Pool trips almost everyday. Noah and Daniel remembered how to swim. It took them a little time, but they were off swimming on their own soon enough. The public pool has a little lazy river with a current that takes you around and around. It was really fun. The pool also has a couple of the big twisty water slides. By the end of the summer both boys were going down both the uncovered and covered slides. Noah was getting good enough to go off the diving board. He was such a little stick on the board; his jump barely made the board move. It was a riot to watch.

Reading: The kids completed the summer reading program within a couple of weeks. Among the best books we read were, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (to Daniel); H.P. and the Prisoner of Azkaban (to Noah), The Candy Shop War (to Noah). We checked out tons of books from the library and had fun going there often and reading in the huge castle.

4th of July: We had a blast participating in 2 nights of celebrating the country's birth in Mesa. We ate lots of watermelon, went down the big blow-up slides, played at little carnival booths, ate scrumptious caramel apples, heard and saw Governor Brewer speak, watched lots of fireworks. It was loads of fun!

The Trip: We took off for Colorado in July. We spent a couple days driving up to the mountains. Colorado could not have been more beautiful. It was like a fairy world. Everything was so green and smelled so good. The temperature was awesome during the day. We froze at night while we camped. Temperatures droppped into the upper 30's. From AZ, we felt like we were getting frostbit on our toes!! The camping trip was so fun. The planning and food shopping was a little stressful, but it was worth the stress. I loved seeing my brother, Derrick and his wife Jenn. We don't hear from them very often- he is the complete opposite of me. I can talk about anything and share my life with anyone- I am definitely an open book. derrick is not. Trying to get details about his life is like reading a locked book. So, I was super happy to be able to at least the man and his wife. I miss them so much. It was also awesome seeing my little sister Juliann and her husband Ross from Texas. It has been way too long without her. We were very close to each other, especially the last couple of years before I left for college. It was fun giggling and talking with Julio. I loved seeing my older sister, Elisa and her husband Tom from Colorado. My kids had fun playing with their kids. I hope Gavin and Rianne had has much fun with their cousins as Noah, Daniel, and Jodi did. They wandered all over the campground. It was fun seeing them all play together. Dustin let Daniel and Noah loose with a hatchet. It was hilarious watching the grandparents and aunts and uncles wince as my kids came chopping along. I am happy to report that not one child lost a finger or even got cut. Phew!!! We had a blast with Lief and his girlfriend Amy. Jodi has a new gal pal. She was practically attached to Amy's side, tent, space. Wherever Amy was, Jodi was close behind. It was great seeing my parents as well. They spoiled the grandkids of course. My kids love Grandma and Grandpa so much. They always leave the grandparents with a new best animal or toy. These toys become sacred to them, just because they were from Grandma and Grandpa.

Customize a collage

The Birthday Girl: We celebrated Jodi's birthday while in Colorado. Many of her aunts and uncles were there to celebrate with her. She was one spoiled 4 year old. She got pretty much everything she wanted. A Barbie Guitar- the best gift ever (for her!), a Lego set (no more fighting over Noah's), a new babydoll, and best of all a mail box- no wait it was a dressup set. But Jodi's first comment was, "Oh wow a mailbox!" It was truly priceless. A day playing dress up with her aunts was the best gift ever. We also went to the lake near my home town and the kids road in their first ever boat ride. My mom has a little fishing boat that she used to take out when she was a girl. It still works and it was loads of fun taking the kids out on the lake. They saw a deer on the shore. The splash in their faces was so fun. The water was FREEZING, but it didn't matter.

The Utah Field House and Dinosaur Museum and Arches National Park: When we vacation, we go all out. We went to Vernal, UT and had a great time at the awesome Dinosaur museum with a little less family. Each destination one of my siblings had to leave for their homes. We had a great time seeing the skeletons of Dilopicus. Man that Dinosaur was long. Anything about dinosaurs is the most awesome thing in the world for my kids. They were in heaven.

On our way back to AZ, we spent time at Arches National Park. We had to drive through Moab any way and thought the kids were old enough to take the tour. We had tons of fun hiking around and up to the different arches. Our favorite was Double arch. It was really awesome. It was a very hot day, but so beautiful. The deep blue sky with the red arches was very picturesque. We got tons of photos and even a poster because we loved it so much. We hiked through a very powdery sand. It was so pretty.

Flash: I promised the kids a dog when we moved, then when we got back from our trip. It was time to pay up. We now have a little puppy peeing and pooping on my carpets, yipping at night, and being super soft and cuddly. He is a chihuahua and dachsund mix. He looks more like the doxie than anything. He has a doxie body on chihuahua legs!! He is super fun and the kids love him to death.

Summer turned out to be tons of fun. We love our home. We love our family. So now we begin a new school year. Daniel starts all day Kindergarten, Noah will be in 2nd grade. They have all their school supplies and are looking forward to meet the teacher night on the 9th and then school begins on the 11th. Jodi and I will be so lonely without the boys.

New Addition!!

I'm going to do this report first before I post our Colorado adventures. We have a new addition to the Frier household as of 3 hours ago. We promised the kids we would get them a puppy when we moved into the house. I kept putting it off. Then, I promised them a puppy when we got back from our Colorado trip. I knew we needed to get the puppy before school started so they would be able to focus on homework and piano lessons after school and not a new puppy. We went to Pet Smart today- every Saturday they have dogs available from shelters. I fell in love with the chi/doxie mix puppy. He is only 6 weeks old and stole my heart. He is too sweet and the kids love him. So, now I am the proud mom of a new puppy- like I didn't have enough to do!!! Happy Birthday to Dustin- he gets to teach the kids how to pick up after the puppy!!

A little of everything

I gave in and had to reinstate time-outs. The kids have spent lots of time with their arms folded and their eyes closed and their heads bowed. The first few days were quite shocking for them- especially when Noah found himself sitting there more than he thought he probably deserved- and boy did he deserve it!! I haven't yelled nearly as much and the kids are starting to really hate time-out which means they aren't sitting there as often!! Yes! I also pulled out the incentive chart again. It took a nice little rest. We needed something to keep the peace good in our home. The kids are now working hard for the new rage- A Khung Fu Zhu Zhu Pet. It is working!! We dragged the kids around with us as we did our bi-weekly shopping. I told Daniel we would be going shopping and he looked at me and said, "Mom, I really hate shopping." I know it is really hard for him so I told him he could earn 5 stickers for his chart if I didn't have to yell at him at the stores. He followed directions so good. He started to get antsy at the end. I took one sticker away. He didn't throw a fit- he even said he agreed that he didn't deserve all 5. This from my emotionally charged kid. I was so impressed and so happy for him. He was so good! I am reading the first harry Potter to Daniel. We read a chapter and then watch that part in the movie. Noah keeps trying to listen in on the book and the movie. Daniel won't let him. Daniel says it is just Mommy and his time.
Jodi is leaving her little toddler ways behind her. I am so sad. I mentioned in a previous blog how her voice changed timbre. Well, the family will be sad to hear that she doesn't say "Waa" for "Yes" any more. It is still funny because she says, "Whep" instead!! She cracks me up. SHe told Daddy the other day that he wasn't good at the Wii. I told her she was getting so big. Jodi lifted her pant leg and said, "My legs are so wong!" She has such spunk. She loves riding her bike- even in the heat.
Noah is having a fun summer. He got his swimming legs back and has been having a blast going down the twisty water slide at the public pool. He has been having fun creating Hogwarts train tracks and Hogsmeade villages with ALL of his toys. We are reading the 3rd Harry Potter together. He was showing a little too much enthusiasm for the movie instead of the book so I told him he can't watch the movie until we have finished reading the book. He was sad, but he loves the book. In fact, he told a lie to us last night so for punishment I took away our night's reading. He was so upset. He said we could read double today. I told him nope- he lost out because he told the lie. I don't think he will be doing that again!
We are enjoying our home and Apache Junction. There are a lot of things I want to do with the kids here. There are a number of archeological trails and sites to see. I want to take them on a 2 hour scenic drive, but will wait when it gets cooler! We are counting down the days for our camping trip in CO! Can't wait!

Settling In

Wow, where did the time go? I can not believe it has now been a month since we packed up and moved. Honestly- time has just simply flown by. We are now settling into the home quite nicely. In fact- it feels like home, at last. we never felt completely at home in the apartments. Coming "home" now truly feels like it. We love the home and while there will always be things we wish were different, I wouldn't trade this home for anything.

We have unpacked pretty much everything now. We have pictures on the wall. We hit an awesome 50% off sale at Hobby Lobby and got some really nice artwork that we never had room for before. I love it when I can score on big deals like that. It was a fluke too that we even went in, but I am so glad that we did. With the pictures up, everything feels so homey and peaceful. I love it. I think the house decorating turned out well for now. Now all we need is a porch, a working sprinkler system, and grass in the backyard. Right now the yard is still a baren pit. Let Daniel out for 5 minutes and it suddenly becomes a barren MUD pit. Mud everywhere. That boy loves the mud. They have had tons of fun digging, throwing dirt clods, building mud castles, making mud soup, driving the R/C cars. I just wish they had some shade in the back- next summer it will be done and ready for them to enjoy.

We are really liking our little neighborhood. It is a mile round subdivision. It is small and very quiet- at least our street. I have heard that there are some ruffians on some of the other streets, but ours is very peaceful. Our boys have made friends with some other boys 2 houses down. They are the very same age as Noah and Daniel. They have been riding bikes, playing Transformers, playing with the chalk, and the WII together. The neighbor boys are super-well behaved. They listen and play very well with our boys. Their parents are very nice. The husband is our UPS delivery guy. I really like the wife. She has kept her boys close to her wing as well and it shows in how well her kids behave. They are so nice. They gave us use of their summer movie tickets. They scheduled swimming lessons the same time and can't use them for a few weeks, so they are letting us take their place. They are a very nice couple and know that they will become great friends.

So, this move has been everything we ever dreamed and prayed it could be. We love it out here and don't mind the extra commute time a bit. I love the Superstition Mountains behind us. They are beautiful in the spring and it makes me feel closer to Colorado in a way. Life is good. Oh yes, life is very good.


Our tribute to "Harry Potter" wall. We love the train station clock. Below is a picture my dad took on one of his European trips. It is from a station that has "Platform 9 3/4" on it.


We finally have a "game" table. We can all reach the game and the table is very sturdy. Plus extra storage for remotes and Wii stuff, and Jodi's breathing machine.



I love having a comfortable place to sit while helping Noah with his practicing. Dustin has begun taking naps in the rocker as I play the piano. I like playing for him. It's nice that he appreciates me enough to sit and listen- no matter how many clunkers I make!





The best room of all- my bedroom!! I love this room. I love having all my books in one place! My room has become a place of peace and tranquility. Dustin and I enjoy the room- he watches "his" movies on the big screen and I read "my" books. It is a match made in heaven!

We Moved!!!

I can not believe we have been in our new home for almost 2 weeks already. It has flown by. I am down to the last few boxes of unpacking, but my house still feels like a disaster zone. I took some pictures of our home and was debating on posting them or not. It looks so messy, but here they are. I will take more pics as we keep improving the home. There isn't much to do to it besides the decorating- pictures, curtains, cleaning, etc...

We are absolutely loving it here. The kids have so much space to run and play in. I can not believe how couped up we had been in the apartment. It surely was time to move! The kids love going out and making mud castles and lakes and rivers in our dirt backyard. Sometime this summer we will get a porch built and grass and flowers planted- but in the mean time it is a muddy mess. The kids have been so happy- and therefore so have I!!!

So, enjoy the messy pictures and check back in a feew weeks for more.

New Ward

I am going to miss our Adobe Ward SOOOOOO much- more than I imagined a week ago. We went to our new ward (church) today. I totally forgot how small the Apache Junction wards are compared to the Mesa wards. It was so small!!! The Primary is all one- there are no Junior or Senior primary groups. The bishop told us that our moving into the ward increased their Primary by half- I thought he was exaggerating. He wasn't. There really were barely any kids there. Luckily, there are some kids and boys around Daniel's and Noah's ages. The ward is getting smaller and smaller as well because all the Snowbirds are going back to their summer homes. We really are needed in this small part of the church. We are really eager to serve and to build friendships with our new neighbors-

Speaking of new neighbors. We went to the Adult session of the Mountain View Stake Conference- our last time participating with our old ward and friends. The message came through loud and clear about loving one another and extending the hand of friendship to our nonmember neighbors. It was the perfect theme for Dustin and I as we are beginning again. We will have the opportunity right from the start to be brave and meet the people around us. The Stake meeting was probably the very best meeting I have been to- including General Conference. The message of Love struck me to the center of my soul and I felt the need to be so much more than what I am. I felt the need to put aside my selfishness and really stretch forth my hand in love to those I meet and know. I am excited to get this move going. I am excited to meet our new neighbors.

As Dustin and I looked for a home, we prayed often that we would find a place where our family was needed, as well as a place for our children to play with the kids in the neighborhood. We discovered today that our street has a few LDS families on it- 2 right across the street from us! That will be so awesome for our children. They need that socialization so badly- especially our Daniel. He is so special to me and I have felt that he has gotten the short end of the stick lately. We pulled him out of preschool a month ago because we thought we were moving earlier. He REALLY misses school and friends. I am excited to get to know these neighbors so our children can play together over the summer.

The one thing I will miss so very much are my wonderful Visiting Teachers, Jenni Caddy and Debbie Douglas. They have become such wonderful friends and a support to me over the last 3 years. They have been so diligent in visiting me. I am one of those ladies that just really need the monthly sit-down-together visit. They have been friends that I could call when my fibro flared so bad that I couldn't move. They were always willing to put aside their lives to care for my children when I was literally unable to do so. I love these 2 women so very much and will really miss them. The Relief Society in our new ward is very small. It is harder to find really good visiting teachers in smaller wards- the activity level of ward members is never as strong or as numerous. I also know that given time, I will come to love our new ward family as much as we love the Adobe Ward family.

Timeline

We heard today from our loan guy. Here is our moving timeline- for any who care.

April 18- church in our new ward.
April 21 (or 22) Dustin and I sign the papers!!
April 26- we get the keys to our new HOUSE!!! We are going to "camp out" in our home after moving in what we can fit in the van that day.
May 1- Moving day- all our big stuff will be moved!

I can not believe how fast it is coming. I am packing up all my bookshelves and under the beds this week, as well as the non-essential kitchen stuff. I have been very good at keeping things well organized and contained already for the last 4 years. It won't take much to pack it all up.

2 weeks. Amazing! 14 days left until we can have a blissfully quiet ceiling forever more!!!

Slowly, But Surely

I don't have much to report except that everything is working out so well. I am very grateful that we founf a home that is owner-owned instead of bank-owned. The list price for the home was $117,000. We offered $120,000 knowing we could come up with a little extra id the appraisal wasn't nearly as high. The appraisal came in right at $100,000. If we were working with a bank we would have to withdraw our contract and start all over again. Since we are working with an owner, he dropped the accepting price to the appraisal price- so we get a very nice home after all. We sure have been riding the housing market well. We bought our first AJ home at the slump about 6 years ago. We sold at the height of the boom 4 years ago and made enough to pay back parents, buy 2 cars- almost new, and to live on one income while Dustin went to school. Now, 4 years later, we are getting a smoking deal once again. We are getting this new house for less than we bought our 1st home. I am amazed every day at how blessed our family has been, thanks to the Lord. There is no way any of this could come about without His help. We also owe so much to Dustin's mom, Joan, who at her passing left Dustin and his brothers just a little inheritance- enough for our home. We miss Joan terribly, but are very grateful for what she did for her boys.

The kids are getting really excited to move. We only have the month of April left. We will be moving the first week of May, most likely. Only one month of driving to Mesa to take Noah to school. Only 20 some days of noisy neighbors above our heads!! Oh how we can not wait!!!!

Another House??

Our offer was accepted by the owner for this house in Apacher Junction. We are actually dealing with a real owner, not a bank. He thinks the appraisal will come in low as well, but just wants to dump the house. He is willing to drop the offer price and to work with us as we work with him. This process seems to be going so much smoother than with the previous house. The location is off of Ironwood Road, just south of the US60- which is just south of where our old house in AJ was located. In a year Dustin will try to start working part time at the new MountainVista Medical Center that was just built in near AJ. If he likes it, he can transfer and be working so much closer to home. We really like this home and are excited once again to possibly be moving. The downside- we locked in with a 3 month lease again and will have the apartment through June. We are supposed to close on the house at the end of April. We will move all of our storage unit stuff in May, stay in the apartment so Noah can finish school and then move officially in June. Hopefully everything will work out with this home.

Back to Square One

I am learning an invaluable lesson at the moment- PATIENCE.

We have backed out of the contract for the house we were hoping to buy. The inspection showed a lot of things that needed fixed- which we were really ok with. The appraisal showed a different story. Mold, termites, and a new roof are needed BEFORE we can get the loan. The sellers agreed to lower the price of the home to the appraisal price, but they would not fix anything, and we have until the 31st to close. We are not going to fix up a roof on a home we don't own yet, the work couldn't be completed in 2 weeks, and we still couldn't get a loan anyway without the repairs. So, we are hoping to get our earnest money back and we are starting the looking process all over again. To say we are frustrated and sad is an understatement. We haven't told the kids yet- that will happen tonight over dinner- but I know they are going to be crushed. They were so excited. I am glad I never started packing. The apartment complex said no problem on a 3 month lease. I am thankful that I know that we still have a place to live! I know things will work out. I'm not sure yet what the reason for this experience was. We know what we are looking for and hope we can find it. We are in no rush since we have 3 months to look- although we begin again tomorrow- but no rush!!

Waiting, but in the mean time...

We are still waiting for the appraisal on the house. Apparently we are on a long list of homes that need appraised and all we can do is sit back and have faith that everything will work out just fine. But in the mean time, some fun things ahve happened in our home:

I held a tarantula today. I was braver than Dustin!!! All he could do was sit back and watch. he just couldn't bring himself to hold it. We dropped our kids off at the Douglass family home today so I could go to the doctor about my medicines for the fibro. They have a pet tarantula. I never would have touched one or even thought of touching one if I hadn't seen Debbie do it. She is a very gentle woman and I would have thought she would be the type to totally freak out over a huge aracnid. She showed me a very cool side of her and I felt brave becasue of her. I love inspiring women and she unkowingly pushed me. It actually was really cool holding the tarantula. I may even think about giving one to the kids down the road. Although, they have their hearts completely set on a puppy!

Noah told Dustin the other day that "Mom only does boring stuff with him and Dad does all the fun stuff with him. All Mom does is read..." I'm not sure how to take that comment. It certainly made me laugh.

Noah and I have come up with a deal. I made a New Year's resolution to practice the piano more. I want to be able to play so much better than what I can right now. So, Noah said he will practice a lot if I practice a lot too. He will give me a lesson on Wednesday- tell me if I am good enough to move on or if I have to repeat the song. I think it will be good for both of us. It will get me playing a lot more and it will help Noah see how to practice correctly. I am excited to see how this will work out.

We have had a great last coule of weeks in our home. We spent some time talking to the kids about all of the fighting and yelling. We are putting pennies in the good jar (serving Heavenly Father) for when we help each other, speak kindly to each other and play nice with each other. We also put pennies in the bad jar for when we fight and thence serve Satan. We look at the levels at the end of each week. When we fill the good jar all the way we will take the kids to Makudo's Island- an indoor play park. It has really made a huge difference with everyone, but especially with Daniel. He is so much more loving and giving and the wonderful side of my boy is coming out from hiding!!!

It's Really Happening!!

After much search, many prayers, and lots of stress it is official. We are closing on our house on April 9!! Only 1 more month in the apartment! The house is huge (2088 square feet) with an ENORMOUS backyard. That was the first thing I saw and I knew I needed this house for Daniel. This, in essence, is a gift for Daniel. He has outgrown the apartment and desperately needed a place where he could be himself. The yard is so big he can ride his bike in it!! It is in a nice quiet neighborhood in Apache Junction. It is an older built home and needs a bathroom redone and carpets professionally cleaned before we can move in. We can't wait to get started!! Dustin is itching to get his hands working. Enjoy the pics and more will come!







We are taking our camera with us on to the inspection and will take as many pictures as we can to help us in decorating ideas. If the inspection happens on a weekday, we are going to pull Noah out of school to come with us. He wasn't there when we found this house. I am having fun looking at home decorating books and paint chips. Buying a new house and dreaming is so fun. The best part of the house- it is only $75 more for a monthly payment than our current rent. I am thinking "No way". We have been so blessed. I am so grateful for with all that my Heavenly Father has blessed me. My heart is constantly poured out in thanksgiving daily- if not hourly!!

Kids Say the Funniest Things

Our kids have said some pretty hilarious things lately.

Jodi on buying a new house: Holy Mackerel, That's totally awesome (complete with fist gestures)

Daniel on my braided hair: I wish I could be a girl with long hair then I could have it looks pretty like yours!! Too cute.

Noah on dreams: I told Noah that Heavenly Father answers the dreams in our hearts, you know like getting a house with a huge yard. He had a nightmare that night, came into my room, woke me up from my drug-induced sleep and said, "Mom you told me Heavenly Father answers my prayers and I just had a BAD dream!" I tried explaining what I meant, but I was really our of it and am not sure how many words got from my brain to my mouth.

Oh to be a first grade teacher reading kids stories: Here are some of Noah's words that he wrote in his Whale report: huooj, ocktupoosis, (on a story he wrote about a fish- fire fite fish. It is hilarious reading some of his stories. He has a great imagination and spelling will come in time!

Look again soon for news on our house hunting!

New Beginnings!!!

We are now entering a new era in the Frier family. Dustin is an official Murse- male nurse!! He begins orientation shifts with nurse pay on Monday!! We are so unbuliebably excited!!!! We find ourselves quite giddy at the moment.

So what does our future hold: A HOUSE!!!! We have resumed our house hunting. We are looking in Apache Junction again. We loved the small town feel. Plus Apache Junction offers bigger homes for a better cost. Our lease on the apartment is up at the end of March and can't wait to be in a house by then!! We will keep Noah at the same school for the rest of the year and will switch him over in August.

We are excited for the changes that are coming to our family. They have been long in coming, but well worth this feeling of elation. Of course, we could not have done it without many prayers to a loving Heavenly Father, the love and support of family and friends, and wonderful kids who have waited patiently for Daddy to be done with school so he can play with them more.

Thanks to all and
YYYYYYEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!